The fire was quickly extinguished before it reached a stand of trees. A man working in the area using a grinding tool said the tool caused a spark that ignited the nearby grass.

"With these extreme temperatures, everything – siding on homes, fences, decks, and vegetation – becomes superheated," said Cassandra Ulven, a spokeswoman for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. "When fires start, they spread more rapidly and cause more damage. This is a week in which extreme caution should be exercised to ensure fires don't start in the first place."